Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory is one of those iconic moments that will stand the test of time. The Northern Irish golfer’s victory has had a far-reaching impact, considering he is one of those superstars of the game with a global reach. The victory also puts him in an elite category, one of six players who have achieved the Career Grand Slam, i.e., winning four majors during the course of their career.
Chief among his fans is Irish golfer and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington. Harrington, who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions, had some thoughtful statements regarding what is next in store for Rory McIlroy after his long-awaited title at Augusta National Golf Course.
Speaking on the Golf Channel, Padraig Harrington was very excited to see Rory McIlroy’s success. “We are gonna talk about this year, whether we can make his yearly Grand Slam. We are gonna talk about whether he can get to 10 majors. And guess what, we are gonna talk about whether he can get to 15 majors. And then we are gonna talk about whether he can to 18 majors.” Harrington stated.
The 5-time Majors winner is a very well-known driver of the ball. He was 7th in the Masters in strokes gained off the tee. His approach game is also very solid, as he was ranked first in strokes gained on the approach. “The beauty for Rory is that his game is future-proof. He is not a guy who gets injured. He is extremely powerful. Nobody is going to have an advantage over him.”
But the best part is his game is not just dependent on his strong drives. Remember the PLAYERS Championship this year at TPC Sawgrass. The course, which requires brain over brawn, and your capability on the drive is balanced out by the tricky nature of the holes. He was ranked 27th in Strokes Gained Off the Tee, but his overall strokes gained value was the best in the field. That shows that his game is highly adaptable and he has the capability to mutate his game according to what the course needs. A thinking man for all intents and purposes.
“The only thing Rory has to mind for the next ten years is that he doesn’t get burnt out. That mentally he wants it.” Harrington explained.
“…We’re gonna talk about whether he can get to 10 Majors and guess what, we’re gonna talk about whether he can get to 15 Majors…”
– Harrington on Rory
— Daniel Hussey (@DanielHussey2) April 15, 2025
Mental burnout and injury-related problems are what McIlroy has to keep in mind regarding longevity in this field. He is in his golfing prime right now and to sustain it with a successful run of titles is highly possible.
What’s next for Rory McIlroy
For Rory McIlroy, the path ahead is very deterministic. It depends on the mountain he wants to scale. For a professional who has chased success from the time he turned professional in 2017, there are a few items in his checklist that he would want to tick off.
Chief among them would be the Olympics. McIlroy had previously finished T3 at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (which was held in 2021) but lost in the playoffs. He finished T5 three years later in Paris. This was after he withdrew from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil due to the threat of the Zika virus.
He would also be looking to use the momentum he has from this season and register this year on a historic scale. He already has three PGA Tour victories, which include the Masters, the PLAYERS Championship and the signature event, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. A significant push would also vault him over Scottie Scheffler into the World No. 1 position, something he previously held.
There are also the challenges to achieve greatness, which Padraig Harrington had described. The question to Rory is, how great do you want to be?
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